T20 fever- The Caribbean Premier League

Barbados Tridents beat Guyana Amazon Warriors by eight runs in a rain affected match to claim the Caribbean Premier League title for the first time. Amazon Warriors, who were the finalists last year, were given a target of 153 and needed 46 off 25 balls, after which rain played spoilsport and Tridents managed to win by a narrow margin of 8 runs. The winner was decided by Duckworth/Lewis method, and the decision soon turned into a controversy. The Amazon Warriors players boycotted the presentation ceremony and the franchise later announced that it will be appealing the decision to the International Cricket Council (ICC). Shoaib Malik was declared man of the match for his brilliant innings of 55 not out.

This concluded the month-long T20 carnival in the Caribbean. The star studded Tridents team, led by Kieron Pollard continued their exceptional form and won the second edition of this extraordinary league. Amazons were runners up for the second consecutive time.

The league was a complete package of excitement, thrill and filled endless enthusiasm among the players and spectators. It was the perfect platform for young West Indian players to showcase their skills. As a result the league witnessed many spectacular performances. Top performers with the bat were Lendl Simmons, Shoaib Malik, Chris Gayle, Marton Guptill and Dwayne Smith, all scoring over 350 runs. Ravi Rampaul and Santokie were stars in the bowling department with 18 and 17 dismissals respectively.

This tournament will play a crucial role in nurturing young West Indian talent and keep up the West Indian legacy to produce great t20 sensations. Players like Dwayne Bravo, Sunil Narine, Chris Gayle, Dwayne Bravo and Marlon Sammuels have contributed immensely to t20 format and raised it to dizzying heights. West Indies would definitely want to come up with more such players in the future, and this initiative will help them do so. Hence expectations from this league are really high for the coming years.

Barbados Tridents will represent West Indies in the upcoming edition of Champions League T20 starting 13th September. Considering their brilliant form and competitive game, they will definitely look to make a mark. Although this would bring Shakib Al Hasan and Dwayne Smith to the hot seat as they need to decide between the Tridents and their IPL counterparts for the clt20. Ravi Rampaul, Dwayne Smith and Shoaib Malik will be the players to watch out for in the upcoming multi-national tournament. They played stupendously in the entire league and will try to carry their form further.

Hence the t20 format will continue to seek interest of cricket enthusiasts all over the globe in the coming months as well.

Scorecard for the final: Barbados Tridents 152 for 6 (Smith 59, Mailk 55, Santokie 3-19) beat Guyana Amazon Warriors 107 for 4 (Hafeez 28, Holder 2-18) by eight runs (D/L method).